By David Brough
BANGKOK – Thai craftsmanship and adaptability drove retail buying of Thai manufactured gemstones and gold and silver jewellery at the September 8-12, 2026, Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair.
Throughout the show, many booths were packed with buyers making enquiries and re-stocking loose gemstones and finished jewellery crafted in Thailand.
For decades, Thai craftspeople have developed skills in the cutting, polishing and heating of coloured gemstones imported from origin countries, while Thai silver jewellery manufacturers, now in the top-four globally, have built a reputation for adapting rapidly to clients’ changing requirements.
Thai gemstone suppliers are highly skilled in calibrating loose gemstones by hand, aided by the latest technologies.
The Bangkok show offered an extraordinary variety of loose polished gemstones on the lower ground floor, and finished gold and silver jewellery on the ground floor, including well known suppliers such as Sant, Pranda Group and Dermond who manufacture in Thailand.
Hall 4 showcased the latest in jewellery manufacturing machinery and new technologies, such as precious metal analysers, laser marking equipment and gemstone identification equipment.
While most of the business done at the fair was via traditional meet-and-greet at the booths, some live-streaming was taking place for value-priced goods such as necklaces.
AGTA delegation
American Gem Trade Association leaders visited the Bangkok show, met with industry and government leaders, and planned a high-level meeting with the Thai government to help promote a bilateral U.S.-Thailand trade deal.
The current U.S. import tariff rate on loose colored gemstones from Thailand is 12.5 percent. Thailand is a vital source of loose gemstones for the U.S. market.
AGTA President Bruce Bridges and CEO John Ford were scheduled to meet with Deputy Trade Minister Kirida Bhaopichitr at the Commerce Ministry on September 14, 2026, after meeting with senior government and industry officials, including Ms Nisabudh Virabutr, Director of the Office of Lifestyle Trade Promotion, of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Commerce Ministry, at the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair on September 11.
Ms Nisabudh Virabutr, Director of the Office of Lifestyle Trade Promotion, of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Commerce Ministry, meeting with AGTA President Bruce Bridges and industry leader Henry Ho.
On the sidelines of the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, Mr Bridges and Mr Ford met with leading Thai representatives of the gemstone and jewellery industry, including Mr Sumed Prasongpongchai, who heads the state-backed lab Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (Public Organization), and Mr Suttipong Damrongsakul, managing director of Gemopolis, an area of Bangkok where overseas jewellery manufacturers and exporters operate with special tax benefits offered by the Thai government.
“We want to see stability in trade flows, so it is important that we help Thailand move forward to reach a bilateral trade deal with the U.S.: Thailand is a vital supplier of loose colored gemstones and high-quality gemstone-set jewellery to the U.S. market,” Mr Ford said.
If Thailand does not reach a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. soon, it risks losing market share to its competitors in the supply of gemstone-set finished jewellery to the huge U.S. market.
The total effective import duty for Thai finished jewellery entering the United States is between 17.5 percent and 19.5 percent.
